You Do the Math

"When you get right down to it, whether you become a mom at 25, 35, or 50...we are all faced with most of the same challenges and joys of parenting. Still, I often can't help doing the math.When I'm in my 60s, my son will graduate from college, and hopefully I'll still be cool enough to throw him one hell of a graduation party! When he's in his 40s, chances are I'll be in a nursing home, despite my efforts to stay fit and eat right. I probably won't be here for him like my parents are here for me today. That's reality, but I don't have to like it, and it makes me cry. But being a 'glass is half full' kind of person, I tell myself I'm doing everything I can to be the best parent, and hopefully when my time comes, I will have left my son with a legacy of independence, strength, courage, and love to face life's challenges without me."

The average American spends about $800 on holiday gifts...and every year between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day, the United States creates more than 5 million extra tons of trash.

—from The Nature Conservancy; visit their site to learn more about how to "make your holiday season a little greener, a little lighter" and learn how to join the fight to save nature in your own backyard and around the world

"My daughter has a new game. It's called 'Annoy the Crap Out Of Mom Until She Hands Over The iPad Or Buys Me An Ice Cream Cone.' She's incredibly good at it. Although, my husband says it's not the kind of skill I should put on her preschool applications. If that's the case, I need the behavior to end."

—Mommy Shorts blogger Ilana in a post called "10 Ways to Stop the Whining"; not much to say other than she's at the top of our must-read list around here, and often you'll laugh until you cry, other times you'll upload outrageous pix of your kids just to see what she may caption them-worth the effort, even if you don't win one of her awesome prizes, we swear

Frightful Facts

"A seminal University of Michigan study showed that teens who watched horror films experienced an increase in anxiety. Other studies about violence have shown that immersion in violent content-and today's horror movies are pretty much nonstop violence-reduces empathy and makes violence less impactful. Sure, our kids know that the movies are fantasy. But their bodies process the fright and gore as if it were real."

—from Common Sense Media, where you can find lots of truly valuable and insightful advice on youth media consumption (all kinds of screens, from TV to telephones), plus lists of horror movies "that will scare kids but not scar them"

GUIDES TO OUR REGIONS

Hiking in the great outdoors and rock climbing -- whether indoors or out -- are both wonderful opportunities for families to exercise together while having fun. And though both sports have their risks, even young children can be successful and safe with the right planning and preparation. Check out our roundup of articles below for all you need to know before going hiking or climbing with your kids in the New York City area (and beyond!).

About Us

NYMetroParents is the parenting division of Davler Media Group and encompasses 9 regional print magazines within the greater NY metro region as well as the website (nymetroparents.com). Following the success of the first NYC parenting resource book, "Big Apple Baby," BIG APPLE PARENT was launched in 1985; it is now the largest publisher of regional parenting content in the United States.